This invention relates generally to the field of baking accessories, and more particularly to a cookie baking sheet.
Metal sheets that facilitate the baking of cookies are known. They are typically used in conjunction with standard ovens found in most homes. The user prepares an amount of cookie dough, then breaks it into cookie sized amounts and finally places the cookies sized dough pieces onto a cookie sheet. The sheet is placed on an oven rack, the oven door is closed and the dough proceeds to cook until the proper browning and consistency is reached.
Numerous types of cookie backing sheets are on the market today. These include sheets made of steel, aluminum, non stick coated, and shiny coated. Some current cookie sheets use a double layer configuration with insulating air in between. Many of the sheets have edges that are bent up on four sides, usually at ninety degrees. This increases the sheets rigidity and gives a person a place to hold the sheet while transferring it from one location to another. Another aid used in the cooking of cookies is parchment paper. This paper is heat resistant so it can be safely placed in an oven. By putting a sheet of parchment paper over a metal cookie baking sheet, the user reduces clean up time and the cookies have less tendency to stick to the cooking surface. Additionally, a person can slide an entire tray of cookies off the baking tray by simply sliding the parchment paper off the tray.
Although many of the current cookie baking sheets available today perform a somewhat adequate job, there are some drawbacks that continue to be a problem. If not watched carefully, most cookie baking sheets cause the bottom of a cookie to become overly cooked or burnt. There is a relatively small window of time where the cookies are fully cooked and yet the cookie bottoms are not excessively burnt. If the cookies are left unattended for even a short period of time, the over cooking or burning process can ruin a batch of cookies. A few manufacturers have tried to reduce this problem by providing an insulated sheet are double walled sheet having an air gap in between, such as Insulated Bakeware by Airbake, or the Cushionair by WearEver.
Unfortunately, independant tests show that although the burning of the bottom of cookies is inhibited, The cookies fail to obtain a desirable browning and crisping effect until the entire cookie is overcooked. Other problems with current cookie baking sheets include the fact that most sheets have bent up edges on all four sides. Although these edges improve the stability of the sheet, the sharp ninety degree bends tend to cause the sheet to warp during heating thereby causing cookies to slide around and assume odd shapes. Additionally, the bent edges on all sides make it difficult to slide a sheet of cookie topped parchment paper off of the cookie sheet without disrupting the cookies.